


Miscommunication

by arihara



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: I'm really sorry, M/M, eichi gets jealous, this was supposed to be lighthearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 09:59:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12455070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arihara/pseuds/arihara
Summary: Yuzuru meddles in Keito's business.Eichi doesn't appreciate it.





	Miscommunication

**Author's Note:**

> wow okay this wound up being a lot shorter than i thought it was
> 
> i didn't proofread this. if i tried then it would never get done
> 
> also hi i haven't posted anything before, i don't really know what i'm doing but i'm trying
> 
> hopefully the characterization wound up okay; i don't have much experience with fanfiction, chances are i messed some things up but. again, i tried
> 
> (you can find me on twitter @fukukaichous if you want to yell at me/with me about keichi)

Eichi gathered the documents in front of him into a pile, humming softly as he rose from his seat. "All done!" he announced proudly. He set the stack of papers next to Keito's (his own was noticeably smaller, and Keito seemed only to be about halfway done) and tapped his childhood friend on the shoulder.

Keito looked up with a grunt. "Thanks for your contribution, Eichi. Now, go home and get some rest. The days are getting colder. You need to keep your health in top condition." He waved a hand towards the door, not even so much as smiling at his friend. Eichi was being troublesome, and Keito had work to do. He didn't have time for a gentle, amicable send-off.

Though Eichi frowned and muttered something about how Keito was colder than the weather outside, he nodded and exited the student council office, closing the door behind him and leaving only two members of the council still working. Well, "members" was a generous term, Keito thought, his gaze finally drifting from the door that he hadn't realized he was staring at as Eichi left, changing its focus to Yuzuru, who sat scrutinizing a piece of paper that had been scribbled over in Tori's childish handwriting in a bright pink marker.

Yuzuru set the defiled document on the table and raised his eyebrows at the vice president. "You will have to tell him one day, you know, vice president-sama."

Confusion spread across Keito's face. "...What, that Himemiya is repeatedly destroying important files with his doodling?"

"No, no," Yuzuru chuckled, and Keito furrowed his eyebrows further. "The way you stare at him when he walks out, or at any time, really. Hasumi-sama, only a blind man could not see it. I have been meaning to approach you about this issue for some time, and I apologize if I am stepping into unwelcome territory, but—"

"Of course this is unwelcome territory! You don't just... pry into the feelings one may or may not harbor for another. And since when is this your issue to worry yourself about?" Keito crossed his arms, his glare at Yuzuru made somewhat less frightening by the bright pink blush making its way onto his cheeks.

Yuzuru laughed. "My apologies, then. But you did not deny it, did you?"

Keito opened his mouth to object, but no proper words came out, only a quietly stammered "Sh-shut up..." and a resigned sigh.

He buried his head in his hands and groaned loudly—he felt as if he were about to die of humiliation; Yuzuru had said it was obvious, hadn't he? Did everyone know? Did—

"Does Eichi know?"

His wide eyes made contact with Yuzuru's gentle ones as the butler stood, quietly making his way over to stand in front of Keito's desk. The young man rested a hand on his shoulder. "I did say that a blind man would never notice. I am afraid that when it comes to love, our president-sama is blinder than you are without those glasses." The pitiful smile on his face filled Keito with a combination of relief and frustration.

"That's... good. I am not going to tell him anytime soon. Our friendship has to stay how it is, and him knowing how I feel would change everything, and likely not in the way I would like..." Keito frowned. "He doesn't have to know. I have made it this far keeping it quiet, and—"

"Forgive me, Hasumi-sama, but I worry that keeping it to yourself will only impact your friendship and your work ethic further. I cannot allow you to continue living this way, as your caring kouhai."

"My work ethic? I have been working just fine, thank you. Why don't you worry about Himemiya's work ethic first?" Keito huffed and crossed his arms.

Yuzuru sighed. Keito was really going to make this difficult for him, wasn't he? "You have been taking longer to complete your work, especially as of late, because, I have taken notice, you are spending time watching Tenshouin-sama instead of focusing."

"What a ridiculous accusation."

"How many times did he pat young master's head today?"

"Six."

"Mhm."

Keito blinked.

"You have been staring at him, Hasumi-sama."

"Shouldn't you be doing your own work instead of monitoring my dubious homosexuality?" Keito snarled, rolling his eyes at the butler.

Yuzuru chuckled, a devious grin spreading across his face. "I was working, actually. I was keeping an eye on young master, as I have been instructed to do. You, however, are on no orders to keep an eye on Tenshouin-sama. No orders except those of the spirit of love."

Keito swatted Yuzuru's hand off of his shoulder. He refused to be touched by such a shameless meddler. How incorrigible, he thought to himself. How obnoxious.

"...Anyway," he grumbled, pushing his glasses up on his nose, "That 'spirit of love' you mention has no influence here. It isn't... that. It's nowhere near that big of a deal. I have always been attached to Eichi, and I have also always found him somewhat more attractive than the average man. Our souls are connected in a way, what with us having been friends for so many years, but it is nothing... nothing like 'love.' Only a fool would fall in love with such an idiot as Eichi."

"And you are a fool, are you not?" The butler reached for Keito's hands and stroked them softly, a smile equally as soft resting on his lips. "Do not worry, Hasumi-sama. I am sure he will not turn you away. You must tell him, and even if he does not return your feelings, at least you will have this issue cleared up, hmm? I will help you if you need it."

Keito let his hands go limp and avoided Yuzuru's eyes. This boy really did love to take fun in others' struggling. He was far more sadistic than he seemed, that ever-polite butler with a heart that loved to nag and toy with issues that were not his while wearing that innocent, completely artificial smile. What an annoying boy. "Eh?" Keito's frown deepened. "How would you help me, anyway? It isn't like you have any experience in this area or advice to offer." He squinted at the butler, who only laughed.

"Perhaps I lack experience, but I am a useful resource in the area of advice, whether you want it or not. I suggest that you practice expressing your feelings as if I am Tenshouin-sama, so that when you finally do approach him about it, you know what it is that you want to say. I will not push you further unless I deem it necessary."

Practice confessing...? Keito weighed his options. He could agree with Yuzuru, throw out some entirely bullshit words of love and romance, and the boy would leave him be. Alternatively, he could refuse, allowing the butler to meddle further into his business and possibly begin leaving Eichi hints about his friend's affections.

Unfortunately, the former sounded more appealing than the latter. He sighed reluctantly.

"Fine. I will give you an artificial confession, pretending you are Eichi, and then you will promise to leave me alone, no matter if I do wind up telling how I feel or if I don't. Is this understood?"

Yuzuru squeezed the vice president's hands. "Of course! Whenever you are ready, then."

Keito's eyes widened. "What—Now? Well, I haven't prepared anything."

"That is the idea, you know. This is your preparation."

Keito frowned.

"Fine, fine, here I go. Don't make fun of me."

Taking a deep breath, the vice president turned his gaze up to the butler standing in front of him. He rose to his own feet as well—perhaps thinking while standing would improve his confidence and reduce the rather awkward tension he felt, letting these feelings out to Yuzuru. Eichi was his usual confidant; of course, he could not go to Eichi for this issue, but it felt a little odd to be open about his emotions with someone other than his closest friend.

Nonetheless, he began to speak. "Eichi," he began, trying to ignore the single bead of sweat trickling from his forehead and onto his glowing red cheek, "for as long as I have known you, I have believed you to be... something of an angel. You have called me your angel of death, but in contrast, you are my angel of life; I would never have truly known what it is to live without having met you. I thank you for your continuous support throughout our friendship. However, I have something more to ask of you, if you will hear my words.

"I... aha, it feels odd to say this." He laughed uncomfortably and looked down at his hands, still locked with Yuzuru's. He felt a thumb rub his hand gently for comfort, his eyes turning upwards to meet the purple ones facing him, which smiled in a way that Keito was almost sure was genuine. "I know... that we are friends, and it sounds strange to hear this from me, but you have had a greater impact on my heart than I could ever tell you. I think that I can say that I love you... No, no, not yet. But perhaps, if you allow me, this feeling can one day be called love. Will you allow for that rosebud to blossom?"

Yuzuru grinned, and Keito didn't miss the gentle blush rising on the boy's face. Sure, the confession was not directed at him, but hearing such words must have flustered even the unflappable butler at least a little. "Of course, Keito," he said softly—using his first name? Keito's mouth hung open for a moment before he realized that Yuzuru must have been impersonating Eichi. Not a poor job, really.

"I... will love you too, soon, Keito. And I must ask something of you as well."

Keito blinked, leaving a moment of silence only obstructed by the wind whooshing outside of the open window. "...Go ahead."

Yuzuru used Keito's hands to pull him closer, shutting his eyes, and his lips were almost in contact with the vice president's before he realized the butler's intentions and let out a small, uncharacteristic squeak. "Don't—what are you doing?!"

"Wouldn't you need practice with kissing Tenshouin-sama as well?" Yuzuru smirked, his smile certainly no longer innocent.

"You... You are so... Augh! Fushimi, you fiend!"

 

————————

 

Wataru set his feet on the ground underneath the window of the student council office, feeling truly and utterly puzzled for once in his life. That was rare—typically he accepted whatever came at him with a smile and a bow of dramatic flair, tossing roses to welcome any unforeseen circumstance, but this... this was different. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps he must discuss this issue with Eichi.

That seemed like the best possible course of action, despite the fact that he thought the news might upset his Emperor. His role, however, was to be Eichi's fool; he was his servant and messenger, and if there were any happenings as important as this one, then who was Wataru to keep the information from him? Resigned, he flicked his hair over his shoulder and strode to the gardens where he knew Eichi was drinking tea with his other club members, twirling with every other step, stopping on occasion to smell any particularly delectable-looking bloom on his path. The song he loudly hummed announced his presence before he was in the tea club members' range of sight, so when he finally made his way towards their table, he was greeted by gentle, quiet applause from all three boys.

"Good afternoon, Wataru," Eichi said with a small wave. "Would you like to sit and join us? We were just about to indulge in some of Hajime-kun's homemade sweets—"

"Eichi, pardon my interruption, but this matter is most important! I am afraid I must pull you away from your meeting for just a moment, if Your Majesty will allow it, to indulge you in some information that your fool has been greeted with... unwelcomely." Wataru tapped a foot impatiently, and from this Eichi understood: this time, he was not exaggerating.

The president rose from his seat with a nod, motioning to his fellow club members that they could continue eating and sipping their tea while he spoke with Wataru. He followed his friend to a spot a few yards away and crossed his arms. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes full of worry.

Wataru took Eichi's hand in his own and looked at him with a sad, pitiful frown, one that made Eichi tilt his head in confusion. "Eichi," he began in a low, solemn voice, "I know how you feel about Keito-kun, and as such I feel that I must inform you of a development I have observed in regards to that situation."

Eichi felt his heart stop. Perhaps it shattered upon those words.

"He... Is he with Kiryu-kun? Aha, that would not be surprising. Perhaps the feelings I thought he had in return for mine were imagined in futility, after all..." Eichi took a careful breath, which wound up coming out as a deep sigh.

Sighing as well, Wataru reached to run his free hand comfortingly through Eichi's hair. The Emperor looked upset... Perhaps telling him was not the best idea, after all. "No, not Kiryu-kun. I had been making my rounds, soaring from the roof and across the windows, when I heard a most peculiar conversation in the student council office. Keito-kun, it seemed, was confessing to Yuzuru!"

"Yuzuru?" Eichi gasped, shaking his head in disbelief. Had those two really been that close? He knew they shared club activities and worked late hours together for the student council, but he wasn't sure if he had ever seen them interact outside of their time in school. It always seemed that Yuzuru was too caught up in his work for the Himemiya family and that Keito was busy with... everything, really. Did they have that much time alone together? Did they have "private" archery practices? What did they get up to? He imagined Keito standing behind Yuzuru, a little too close, helping him adjust his grip on the bow and whispering instructions into his ear—

"...Eichi. Are you listening, Eichi?" Wataru poked his nose.

Eichi blinked and stared at him for a moment before laughing quietly, sadly, a poor attempt at masking the misery he felt due to this development.

He released his fingers from Wataru's grasp and tucked his hands into his jacket pockets, glancing down at his feet. A single tear dropped onto his polished leather shoe. "If it makes Keito happy, I suppose I must be supportive... I want to see him happy, even if it isn't with me. His smile makes me smile the brightest, after all. ...Perhaps I should congratulate them, shouldn't I?"

 

————————

 

Eichi didn't sleep that night. Keito noticed it quickly, what with the president's usually somewhat sleepy wave having even slower and more fragile when they first met that morning. No matter how many times he nagged his friend, he insisted that he was fine; it was just a little bout of sickness, he said. Of course, that only pushed Keito to nag him further, telling him again and again that sleep was the most important remedy, but Eichi dismissed his overprotective words. It almost hurt to hear them. No, not almost. It did hurt, and Eichi was already in enough pain in daily life that he didn't want to deal with thinking about his unrequited feelings.

So he began to avoid Keito.

Anytime his friend tried to talk to him throughout the day, he either shook his head or nodded and looked away. He walked away when he could. It was childish of him, he knew, but his first instinct if he tried to talk to Keito would have been to ask about his new relationship, and he didn't want all of what he regretfully admitted to be jealousy pouring out onto his friend, who was only beginning a new journey towards happiness. Facing him would mean looking at him, would mean thinking about him, would mean hearing his voice... Eichi couldn't do that, not right now. He needed a minute, he told himself every time he turned Keito away, despite his friend's increasing worry. He needed to prepare himself.

He continued to act sullen and tired during fine's practice that day, and though Wataru knew exactly what was wrong, both Tori and Yuzuru were oblivious. Ah... Yuzuru. That was the man with whom Keito had found himself infatuated. Not with Eichi, but with the polite, smiling, always serious Yuzuru; not his childhood friend who would go to the ends of the earth for him but rather the butler he spoke to, sometimes.

"President-sama? Is everything okay?" Yuzuru's innocent frown made the glare Eichi hadn't even noticed he was giving him relax just a little, but neither of them felt at ease. Eichi took a breath. He smiled. Yuzuru blinked before hesitantly smiling back. They both ignored how Tori was beginning to whine that his slave and President weren't getting along.

Eichi chuckled. "Of course I am okay! I'm doing just lovely today, Yuzuru." He reached forward and patted his unit-mate's head, with slightly more force than he intended. "You must be having a wonderful day, hmm? What with everything that happened for you yesterday... I'm proud of you!"

Squinting in confusion, Yuzuru began to reply, but he couldn't think of how he was supposed to... What had happened to him yesterday? "Yesterday? All I did yesterday was spend extra time with Vice President-sama finishing up the work that had failed to be completed..."

Eichi chuckled. "Oh, and how did that go?"

Yuzuru understood.

"President-sama, you must listen to me, Hasumi-sama and I are not—"

"Then why did Wataru tell me he confessed to you?"

(Tori gasped from where he stood watching them, and Wataru covered the boy's ears.)

Yuzuru ran a hand through his hair and sighed, closing his eyes to avoid Eichi's death stare. He took it that Keito would have no issue with figuring whether or not his feelings for the president were returned. The passion with which he was glaring at the poor butler was unrivaled, surely one that could only be described as the flames of a jealous man in love. But before that love could blossom, the butler had to sort out this misunderstanding that he had somehow wound up right in the middle of.

"It was... Well, it is difficult to explain. Vice President-sama was struggling to place feelings into words, not feelings for me, but rather... You should speak to him yourself, President-sama. I do not want to be the one to relay such deep feelings. They should come from his heart, not mine." He opened his eyes. "You must not doubt me. I do not feel such things for Hasumi-sama, nor does he feel them for me. You... You should go find him. Immediately."

Eichi didn't hesitate before sprinting from the practice room. Perhaps running was bad for him, and he might faint or die, but if Yuzuru's words rang true, then what Keito had to say to him was something he wanted to hear—something he needed to hear. His heart was racing, and not just because of the strenuous exercise igniting his lungs. He was so focused on trying not to pass out that he didn't notice when he crashed into someone in the hallway.

He also didn't notice that this someone was Keito, making his way back to Akatsuki's practice after a break.

Keito's arms wrapped around him instinctively, supporting his limp, heaving body without hesitation. When Eichi looked up, he saw a face he hoped never to see again: Keito must have been worried out of his mind; his glasses were skewed and tucked over his ruffled bangs, and the bags under his eyes and brows knit over them only emphasized the panic reflected in his green irises. His face was pale. "Eichi... Eichi, are you alright?" he stammered, trying to lift his friend up to his full height. "Eichi, you shouldn't be running like that, you'll kill yourself... You have looked terrible today, your health worse than usual. Why won't you let me help you? It's because of this that all my scolding has been bottled up until now—"

"Aha... Shut up, Keito." Eichi pressed a finger to his friend's lips, which stopped moving in shock. "Yuzuru said you have something to say to me. Why don't you quit lecturing me and spit that out?"

A dark red began to spread across Keito's face, and Eichi heard him gulp. "Is that what sent you running, then? Did he say what...?"

Eichi shook his head. "No, no. He said that you must tell me yourself. As for the running... well, it did sound important, given how I happened to hear of it. You worried me, you know. From what Wataru heard, you were in love with Yuzuru. I believed it. You aren't the type to joke about something like that. I would like you to tell me what you told him."

"Those words were meant for you," Keito whispered almost silently, but Eichi heard all the same. "Eichi. I have been in something like love with you since we were children, and I couldn't bring myself to say anything to you... I tried to downplay my feelings, to ignore them, because if they weren't returned then our friendship would be jeopardized, and I would never want to lose what I have with you. I thought I channeled it inside well enough, but Fushimi noticed. He saw the way I looked at you, and he knew."

"And?" Eichi tried to push away his relieved smile—Keito was confessing to him, right now, wasn't he? But he had to hear the rest of the story.

"And Fushimi offered for me to practice with him. To pretend that he was you, so I would not get so flustered and afraid when I tried to tell you how I felt. I suppose that is inevitable now, as I have basically just told you... I may as well just say it directly."

He shakily rested a hand on Eichi's flushed cheek, his other arm still embracing and supporting his friend. "I love you, Eichi. I always have. Just being in your presence makes me feel as if I would not know life without your light to illuminate my darkness, and I am forever grateful for all that you have done for me. If you will accept, I would like to continue our journey together, not as classmates or childhood friends but rather as lovers. Do you—"

The question on Keito's lips did not even need to be asked, because before he could even finish letting it out, he felt soft lips pressing hard against his own. He gasped, and Eichi laughed through his kiss. It took a moment for Keito to react and return the kiss, but he certainly did, his hand wrapped around Eichi moving to rest on the back of his head, tangled in his hair, and he buried himself in the contact with no restraint. Eichi pulled away after a minute, the previously subtle flush on his cheeks boasting a red that might have even rivaled Keito's.

"I hope your question is answered, Keito," Eichi whispered, pecking the other boy's forehead gently and causing him to squeeze his eyes shut in embarrassment.

Eichi chuckled. "I love you, too."


End file.
